NM Blackhawk or Uberti El Patron in 45 Colt?

Uberti's are used in CAS where they are run hard and fast for years.
I think shooters worry about wearing out revolvers far, far more than they actually shoot them.
I have Ruger's and Uberti's but shoot the Uberti's way more. The oldest one, a .44 Special built sometime in the '90's, is finally loosening up but it has been really, really used. I've easily put 3,000 rounds through it and I bought it used from a CAS competitor.
So, IMHO decide whether you want adjustable sights or fixed sights and let that be the deciding factor.

35W

Blackhawk flattop convertible. Adjustable sights, similar size,and you get two flavors of ammo to choose from. It also has a reverse index pawl and the cylinder lines up with the loading gate when you get it click

The standard Blackhawk is nice too, but it's a bit bigger and won't feel the same as your current uberti. BUT you can run hot 45 colt if you so choose in a normal blackhawk. You cannot run the warm stuff in the flattop. Only up to about 23000 psi (45 acp +p) in them, but a 255gr slug @1000- 1100 fps is still pretty sufficient.

Edit to add:

Not to bad talk the uberti, they are nice. But I prefer adjustable sights usually. Plus you already have a uberti. Also not sure if the one you are looking at has that retractable firing pin, but not a fan of that concept. My brother has a plain cattleman (think that's the name) in 45 colt and it seems like a decent gun, my father has the El patron cms with the short barrel, and that is also pretty nice. But I absolutely love my flattop Ruger.

I have both. The El Patron is a well made pistol and probably a more faithful copy of the 1873 Colt. The Ruger Blackhawk is much more robust and can withstand high pressure loads that surpass the 44 Magnum. Either will last a lifetime if cared for properly. In the end it comes down to which one best fits you and serves your needs.

That's a tough choice you will have to make.
Currently I am enjoying my el patron, but it's nice to have both.

The regular Blackhawk is a little larger and has adjustable sights. The Uberti is more similar to a Colt SAA.

I would go Blackhawk because the sights are larger and easier to see, as well as being adjustable, but that's just aging eyes and personal preference.

They're both nice revolvers, so it's pretty much win/win.

I got the extra 45acp cylinder with my Blackhawk and use it a lot.

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I would personally go Ruger for many of the aforementioned reasons. You can lean on the Ruger as far as loads are concerned, something you can’t really do with the Uberti.

I dont have a SAA clone in .45 colt nor a .45 BH. However, I have both in .357. The Pietta (which I assume feels similar to the Uberti) feels a lot more balanced than the brutish Ruger.

I love the Ruger. It's an end of the world tank. Bonus points for having a 9mm cylinder. However, the SAA clone handles better and points more naturally for me.

If I, personally, were getting a single action .45, I would be getting one for range use. I would have more fun with a fixed sight 1873 clone than the Ruger, probably. Then again, I nearly bought a 3" barrel .45 BH a few months ago on a whim. Only talking myself out of racking up more credit card debt right before the holidays kept me from buying it.

I think both guns would be fun, but whatever I fell into would probably be all I would buy in .45 colt.
It's a really cool, historic round. Heck I've nearly ordered a Bulldog XL in .45 colt just because it seems easier and cheaper to find than .44 special, and I kinda want a big bore Charter.

I would go Ruger all the way

If you want to try hunting with it I’d definitely want the adjustable sights. And I’d vote Blackhawk if I was making that choice, it hard to beat a Ruger for the money if you’re not overly concerned about a faithful SAA replica.

ontarget said:

What do the members here that have experience with both recommend?
The cost is not an issue as they aren't that far apart.

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If you think you might hunt with it get the ruger.
If you're plinking and carrying for utter enjoyment or cas...get the el patron

Have both, anymore I usually keep my handloads equal to cowboy stuff with Keith style swc. In the evening when I go out to check the cows the uberti is usually my first choice, it just feels good in the hand, maybe a little lighter to carry.

The Ruger can do everything the Uberti can but not the other way around.

test drive said:

The Ruger can do everything the Uberti can but not the other way around.

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Other than the ability to twiddle with the adjustable sights, what can the Ruger Blackhawk Convertible do that the Uberti can't?

35W

35 Whelen said:

Other than the ability to twiddle with the adjustable sights, what can the Ruger Blackhawk Convertible do that the Uberti can't?

35W

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Grab a loading manual and look under "Ruger & T/C Only"

Yep.

ontarget said:

I get the whole Ruger only load thing. Assuming only factory level loads will be used how do the two stack up?

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That's why I suggest the flattop. It feels very similar in balance uberti, but gives you the adjustable sights. Here's a pic I have from when my flattop was still a bisley. You can see the size differences/bulk between a normal blackhawk and the flattop Blackhawk.

Edit to add the two additional pics. It's hard to get a good shot to compare since the redot is on the one and the lighting is poor. The image of the cylinders you can see the size difference particularly in the cylinder walls. The blued flattop is 44 special while the stainless regular blackhawk is a 45 colt.

gotboostvr said:

Grab a loading manual and look under "Ruger & T/C Only"

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Yeah...thanks for clearing that up.

ontarget said:

I get the whole Ruger only load thing. Assuming only factory level loads will be used how do the two stack up?

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The bottom line is this: You ask that question here and 99% of the people who answer are going to tell you "Ruger", with the same stock reasons- You can shoot heavier loads and they're stronger. There are almost no shooters on this forum with any real experience with Uberti's, therefore they just repeat the same Ruger answers as they read here.

So here's a suggestion- Since they're both fairly common, buy a used El Patron (Two on Gunbroker right now for ~$400) and a used NM Blackhawk and sell the one you don't like. If you're a stickler for accuracy, balance and just out of the box ready to shoot-ness, I'll bet a dollar to a donut hole the Ruger goes down the road.

35W

Eh, late to the party (as usual) but I'm just gonna chime in and ask, which is actually closer to the "gun that won the West?"

I prefer shooting and carrying the 4¾ el patron. Its lighter, balanced and points better for me. Forgive me, but it twirls better. Mine shoots poa.

Hm, this is just my opinion, but if i'm going 'modern built' gun, then I'm going modern built gun and get the Ruger.
Whenever I've wanted a gun close to the old west, I just saved up my cash and bought an original. The Rugers are awesome guns, they're like the SAA grandson who went to the gym on steroids.
But of course, this may just be a bias because i'm a single action Ruger affaciatio

I have a couple Ruger Blackhawks chambered in 357 Magnum, 44 Special and 45 Colt. They have been as reliable as a light switch.

I do not have experience with the Uberti revolvers so I cannot comment. They seem to have a faithful following.

I'm not a big fan of traditional single action revolvers so take my comments with a grain of salt.

Armored farmer said:

That's a tough choice you will have to make.
Currently I am enjoying my el patron, but it's nice to have both.View attachment 880094 View attachment 880095

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Didn't you have SAA 45 Colt with Masonic grips there Armored farmer?